Wednesday, September 9, 2015

8-10, 10-12, 12-15...these are the common number of reps you'd do for any give exercise. Ever heard of a 3-rep exercise? I have one plank exercise where 3 reps is plenty. Actually it may take a while to master 1 or 2 reps. This exercise-the Med Ball Roll-Out Plank-takes the front plank to an entirely different level. It works all of your core, glutes, lower-back, legs, and upper-body! Note: Don't attempt this exercise until you've mastered holding a regular front plank for at least 60 seconds.

To complete the Med Ball Roll-Out Plank, position yourself in a dolphin plank (arms extended) position with both hands a top a hard medicine ball. Your hands and the ball should be directly under your chest (see fig. 1). Keeping the core engaged, use your hands to slowly roll the med ball forward away from your body (see fig. 2). Continue rolling out the ball as far as you can (see fig. 3), keeping in mind that you're going to have to roll the ball back to the start position. Once you've rolled the ball back to the start position, that's one rep. See how many reps you can do.Note: It's important to keep your core engaged and your back flat during the entire movement. Do not let your back sag. A modified version of this exercise can be done by placing your knees on the floor.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Many of you know that I do corporate training as a part of my RunnerDude's Fitness running coaching and fitness business. Since 2011 I've had the privilege of working with Volvo Trucks/Mack Trucks and Volvo Financial. Their North American Headquarters is located here in Greensboro, NC. I travel to the Volvo campus 5 days a week for about 2 hours midday. I usually have 3-4 different running and/or walking groups in progress year-round. Currently I have a Beginning Running Group, Running for Weight Loss Group, and a Pacers Running Group. I've also done fitness walking groups and race training groups. Volvo is a very health forward thinking company. Not only do they provide classes such as my running classes, they also offer, fitness training classes and yoga. I've worked with over 200 employees in the past 4 years and it's been awesome seeing some of them go from doing no running to running their first half marathon or from being overweight to losing 60 pounds!

I have trained several half marathon groups through Volvo. We've run the Charlotte Race Fest Half, the City of Oaks Half, the Race 13.1 Winston-Salem and Race 13.1 Greensboro Half, the Lookout Capital Half Marathon, and the Greensboro Half Marathon. Because of the success with the various running and race training programs, Volvo invited me to run with their corporate team at the 2015 Gothenburg Half Marathon in Gothenburg, Sweden, the international headquarters for Volvo. It's a great honor to be invited to participate in an international running event of this caliber and even more of an honor to be able to run it with runners that I have previously coached.

Being a small business owner and father of three, my funds are limited. Mustering the travel and lodging funds for the trip to Sweden to be with my runners will be a challenge. Many of my runners suggested setting up a GoFundMe page. So, I did. And as a result so many wonderfully supportive runners have contributed. Any donations to help me reach my goal would be greatly appreciated. I plan to document my experience here on RunnerDude's Blog so that everyone can have a virtual experience with me and the runners while in Gothenburg.

Be sure to check out the Gold, Silver, and Bronze donation levels. Each level will enter you in a drawing for a chance to win either a $100, $75, or $50 REI gift card. I'll announce the three lucky winners on the blog on May 21, 2016, the day of the Gothenburg Half Marathon. Individuals donating at the Gold level will also receive a copy of my book, Full-Body Fitness for Runners, which contains over 90 exercises for runners, nutrition info, and more! To donate, click here or on the box below.

A little info about the Gothenburg Half Marathon....it's the world's largest half marathon with over 64,000 runners and over 200,000 spectators. Check out this video clip on the event! In 2021, the city will host its first full marathon in celebration of the city's 400th anniversary.

A huge heart-felt thanks to those who have already made a donation! Thanks!

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About Me

Certified running and fitness coach Thad McLaurin hosts and writes the popular RunnerDude's Blog as well as being a contributing writer for Active.com. He's also the owner of RunnerDude's Fitness in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has a BA in Education from UNC-Chapel Hill, and his credentials include personal trainer certifications from NPTI and ACSM, as well as running coach certifications from RRCA and USA-Track & Field. Thad’s greatest reward is helping others live healthy, active lifestyles. From general fitness to marathon training, Thad can help you reach your fitness and running goals.